Multi-can package



Sept. 25, 1962 R. BRUNSING MULTI-CAN PACKAGE Filed Oct. 22. 1956 INVENTOR. REX L. BRUNSING ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,055,497 MULTI-CAN PACKAGE Rex L. Brunsing, 260 California St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Oct. 22, 1956, Ser. No. 617,370 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to a package formed by a plurality of cans and a means for holding them together, and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of improved means to enable a person to carry the package of cans more conveniently than heretofore, and which means is reliable, economical to make and to apply to the cans, and which incorporates means for holding the cans against relative movement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a package of cans provided with means arranged to enable the cans to be carried more easily than heretofore, and which means is so constructed and so related to the cans as to be quickly accessible to the user for carrying the cans, yet adapted to be so positioned as not to interfere with the packing of packages of cans or to occupy space that would necessitate more space than is required for the cans themselves.

An additional object is the provision of a can package in which a pair of vertical rows of horizontal cylindrical cans are adapted to be suspended from a carrier for.

carrying the package from the upper ends of the rows, so that substantially all of the weight of the cans is directly below the carrying hand instead of the weight being laterally offset.

In explanation of the above, and using a conventional package of six cans, arranged in two horizontal rows having three cans in each, as an example, it has been customary to provide a pair of finger openings in the top wall of the carton enclosing the cans, which openings are fairly near the center of the top of the package. Two fingers of a persons hand are intended to be inserted in said openings for carrying the package, and the fingers must be forced toward each other after being inserted in the openings in order to maintain a firm hold on the package. These openings are positioned normally in a vertical plane that defines the line of separation between the two rows, hence all of the weight of the cans is laterally offset to different sides of the openings. With such an arrangement, the strain on the carrying hand is so great that many persons support the package from below and more or less ignore the finger openings. If the package has been in a refrigerator, the bottom of the package is always quite cold and may be damp, thereby making it inconvenient to carry the cans.

Other packages provide a handle in the same plane as the finger openings above described, but such handles usually take up unnecessary room, or if bent to one side or the other to economize on space, they may be weakened and become unreliable. In any event, the weight is still offset laterally relative to the handle, which makes carrying the package awkward with the result that many persons still carry the package by supporting it from below.

With the present invention the two rows of cans extend downwardly from the carrying handle, instead of horizontally, and no opposedly direct force is required for supporting the rows. Instead, the fingers support the weight suspended directly therefrom.

In such a position the package takes up less room when being carried than when it projects laterally, and is more convenient to carry.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiple can package showing the invention;

3,055,497 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the finger engageable carrier that is used;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the cooperative relationship between the notches or recesses in the carrier and the chimes on the cans;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view taken at right angles to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, and also showing the cooperative relationship between the notches in the carrier, and the chimes on the cans;

FIG. 5 shows the tab on one of the can holding strips for quickly releasing the cans;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one manner of holding the carrier against movement in one direction relative to the cans.

In detail, the cans of the package are generally designated 1, and which cans, in the present instance are shown as being elongated and cylindrical with radially and axially projecting chimes 2 at their ends.

The package illustrated comprises what may be termed a six-pack, in which two rows of cans 1 are shown arranged in two parallel rows of three cans in each row, and with the axes of the cans parallel. It will be apparent that the package could be a four-pack in which there were two cans in each of the two rows, or it could be an eight-pack, etc. preferably there should be an equal number of cans in each of two rows.

The carrier in the present package comprises a strip 3 of sheet material. This material is preferably double faced corrugated cardboard with the corrugations of the filler extending perpendicularly to the length of the strip.

The strip 3 is positioned between the two rows of cans. One end portion 4 of the carrier projects beyond the end cans at one of the corresponding ends of the rows, while the other end preferably terminates at a point between the corresponding end cans at the other end of the rows. However, this last mentioned end should extend past the centers of said end cans, as will later appear.

The said end portion 4 is formed With finger openings 5 through which several fingers of the carrying hand of a person may be thrust.

Preferably, when the carrier is positioned between the two rows of cans, the cans in one row are pressed toward the cans of the other row thereby slightly compressing the filler at the points 6 where the adjacent pairs of cans from the two rows are closest together (FIG. 4).

The strip or carrier 3 is cut away along its opposite edges providing notches or recesses 7 (FIGS. 2, 3) through which the chimes 2 of the cans in the :two rows are adapted to extend to meeting relation. The marginal portions 8 of the carrier, that are between the notches, preferably extend to the plane to which the axially outwardly fac ing surfaces of the chimes 2 extend.

Once the chimes 2 are in the notches or recesses 7, a tape 10 is adherently secured to the heads 11 of the cans of said rows and to the edges of the marginal portions 8. A strip of said tape is at each of the ends of the cans of said rows and extends across the carrier 3 to points that may be near the centers of the cans. Thus tape 10 secures the cans in one row to the cans in the other row, and secures the cans in each row together, and also secures the strip 3 between the cans. Since the edges of strip 3 offer but little surface for adhering to the tape 10, principal reliance is placed on the notch structure, provided by notches 7, to prevent the carrier from moving longitudinally thereof relative to the cans. Thus the cans may safely be lifted by the handle 4.

In order to facilitate the removal of the tape 10, one or both of the ends of the tape may have the adhesive side covered by a mask 12, which may, if desired, be an end portion of the tape 10 folded on itself. This provides a pulling tab that is hingedly connected with the tape for swinging freely away from the cans for being grasped by the fingers.

In the structure as shown in FIG. 1 the chimes on the cans in each row are in engagement with each other, and the chimes on the cans of one row are in engagement with the chimes on the cans of the other row. Thus the cans occupy the minimum possible space. Yet they are held together as a solid unit and form a rigid package.

The handle 4 is of a width that enables it to be between the chimes 2 on either of the end cans adjacent thereto. The dot-dash position 13 in FIG. 1 shows the handle extending partially around one of said end cans, and when it is in this position it lies substantially within the axially projecting confines of the outline of the chimes on the can around which at partially extends. In this position 13, the handle in no way enlarges the space occupied by the cans, and therefore no increase in the size of the package occurs by reason of the handle.

As a modification of the carrier of FIG. 2 a carrier 14 (FIG. 6) may be provided in which the lower end 15 is folded on itself and secured to the main body of the carrier so as to produce an enlargement that will not pass between the cans, thereby preventing upward movement of the carrier relative to the cans when the carrier is in place. Such an obstruction may be positioned at spaced points along the carrier, if desired, so that each adjacent pair of cans across the row will be engaged by such an enlargement, if desired.

The fact that the corrugations in the handle extend transversely of the carrier, and parallel with the axes of the cans, the handle will readily conform to the cylindrical contour of the cans. If desired, such handle may be releasably held in position 13 by any suitable means.

Each package of cans by the foregoing structure may, if desired, be supported with the rows extending vertically and the cans horizontal, thus enabling the cans to be imprinted at 16 with words or designs extending horizontally or in the same direction as the axes of the cans.

Since the carrier is a blank sheet, it offers space for printing matter 17 on its opposite sides, which may be score, cards, or in the case of food, the carrier may have recipes printed thereon.

The fact that the rows of cans are vertical with the handle 4 at the end of the rows, the package will be naturally suspended from the handle as practically all weight is carried by the carrier 3, and this is directly below the handle. The weight of the upper cans in the rows will not be transmitted to any great degree on the cans below them, since the tape prevents the cans from falling, and the notches 7 engage the chimes of each horizontally disposed pair of cans.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail such is not to be taken as restrictive thereof since it is obvious that modifications could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising: a plurality of cans having lateral sides and opposed ends and chimes projecting laterally outwardly of said sides, said cans being disposed in a pair of adjacent parallel rows, an elongated memher extending longitudinally of said rows positioned between said rows, the chimes of the cans of one row being substantially in engagement with the chimes on the cans of the other row, a pair of strips of adhesive tape extending longitudinally of said rows adhesively adhered to the opposite ends of the cans of said rows holding the cans of said rows against opposite sides of said member and holding said chimes in said engagement and holding the cans in each row in engagement with each other, means on said member engaging the end cans of said rows at one of the ends of said rows holding said member against longitudinal movement thereof relative to said rows in direction toward the other ends of said rows and an extension on said member projecting from said rows at the said other ends thereof providing a handle for carrying the cans of said rows with said rows and said member vertical and with said handle uppermost, said member being a strip of compressible resilient material recessed along opposite edges for receiving the chimes on the ends of the cans of said rows at their points of contact between said rows, said tape being adherently connected with said opposite edges of said member along the portions thereof that are disposed between said recesses, the said portions between said recesses terminating in free edges that are substantially flush with the axially outwardly facing surfaces of the chimes of said rows.

2. A package comprising: a plurality of cylindrical cans disposed in a pair of parallel rows with their axes parallel and with the cans in one row alongside the cans in the other row, an elongated carrier between and parallel with said rows, means at the ends of said cans securing the cans in each row together and securing the cans in one row to the cans of the other row, said carrier projecting at one of its ends from one of the ends of said rows to provide a handle for engagement by the fingers of a hand and means at the other end of said rows in engagement with the cans at said other end for securing said carrier against movement relative to the cans of said row in a direction with said handle leading whereby said cans may be connected with said carrier for carrying by said handle,

said carrier being resilient compressible material having recesses formed in opposite sides thereof by the cans of said rows and the cans of said rows being firmly held in said recesses, the said means for securing the cans in one row to the cans in the other row also firmly holding said cans of said rows in said recesses and said last mentioned means being strips of adhesive tape extending longitudinally of said rows and extending across the juncture between said rows at opposite ends of the cans thereof in adherent engagement with the ends of the cans for stripping therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,995 Bruce Feb. 2, 1954 2,677,460 Johnson May 4, 1954 2,687,978 Vogt Aug. 31, 1954 2,694,488 Crane Nov. 16, 1954 2,769,535 Bruce Nov. 6, 1956 2,776,787 Nicol Jan. 8, 1957 

